2013 Acura RDX benign, comfortable and easy to live with

Has held its value reasonably well, going from the high teens to the low $20,000 range

2013 Acura RDX benign, comfortable and easy to live withBased on the Honda CR-V, the Acura RDX was the first Acura to have a turbocharger. It was also the first turbo model ever in Honda/Acura’s regular production line-up. It was and is built in Marysville, Ohio. But in 2013, that went away, and it received a V6 engine as well as a six-speed transmission.…

2013 Kia Soul was one funky ride

Consumer Reports appreciated its affordability and “decent” performance

2013 Kia Soul was one funky rideBy 2013, the Kia Soul was firmly embedded in the North American market. It joined the new breed of stubby compact “urban crossover” wagons, such as the Nissan Cube, Scion xB, Honda Element, Ford Flex and so on, and was an instant success. Sometimes it seemed like every other vehicle on the road was a…

2013 Mazda3 a pleasure to drive, despite the tweaks

A thumbs up from Consumer Reports, but mixed results for JD Power

2013 Mazda3 a pleasure to drive, despite the tweaksBenefiting from an additional seven horsepower, the 2013 Mazda3 was still in its second generation and pretty much business as usual for the Japanese company. Most of the changes from the previous year were in the form of refinements and interior upgrades, and you could get Mazda’s new thrifty SkyActiv drivetrain for the first time.…